


1-1-2-3-5-8-13

by Brennah_K



Category: Criminal Minds, Numb3rs
Genre: AU, Spencer's fans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2018-08-27 11:26:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8399857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brennah_K/pseuds/Brennah_K
Summary: Another way that Spencer might have joined the BAU team.





	1. Chapter 1

Noting the name 'Eppes, Donald' blinking across the screen of his cellphone, Aaron signed the team's latest expense report with a relieved exhale before answering.

"Hi Don, is this a business or social call?" Aaron questioned, hoping it was the latter. 

He had met the former Special Agent in Charge at one of the mentoring and staff assessment seminars for Supervisory Agents shortly before the other agent had stepped down from the position to be closer to his family in L.A. During the seminar, their shared dry wit and irony had helped them strike up the start of a friendship that saw them going out for dinner or drinks whenever they visited each other's respective city.

"Calling to ask a favor, actually." Eppes responded, sounding an odd mix of sheepish and weary.

"Lay it out for me, and I'll see what I can do." Aaron answered. From what he'd seen of Eppes, the probability that Don would ask anything too out of bounds was pretty low, but Aaron wasn't prone to promising assistance before he was certain he could provide it.

"Thanks in advance, even if it turns out there's nothing you can do. I've already told Charlie that BAU teams have to be invited in by locals before they can do anything."

"Charlie's your brother, if my memory serves, the genius who developed geographic profiling? I don't imagine you'd loan him to us occasionally? I've wanted to bring someone on the team who could apply the mathematical techniques, but so far we haven't found a good fit." Aaron sighed.

To say that the previous consultants had been a bad fit was a vast understatement: the two attempts they had made to recruit from the mathematical community had been such drastic failures for their team that Aaron (with Strauss's rare but full blessing) had decided not to try to fill the position again. In retrospect, he couldn't decide who had been the worse fit Ethan Rhys who had both the brilliance and the social skills to fit the job, but his own set of demons he'd been fighting even before the job exposed him to some of the worst acts the human imagination could design - or Marshall Penfield, an true genius who could work up the required profile within hours but constantly and consistently alienated not only his own teammates with his arrogance but almost every law enforcement officer he came into contact with. 

Losing Rhys had probably been harder on the team, who had built up genuine attachments to the man before Aaron had been forced to ask for the man's resignation when his addictions began to interfere with his work beyond what Aaron could turn a blind eye to and the genius refused to receive treatment, but Penfield had been so abrasive that he had actually hurt the team's reputation to the point that local departments requesting assistance would specifically request other BAU teams.

"Hmmm. Sounds like there's a story behind that."

"Yes, but not one I want to discuss, now."

"Okay, I don't think he's right for the kind of cases you work, but if I can ask Charlie for a reference or two. He's been on the inside of a few of our cases now and may have a some suggestions."

"I'll think about it and let you know, but let's get back to this favor you wanted to ask about. Is Charlie involved?"

"No, well, not really - only on the sidelines. One of his friends, a theoretical physicist, who's been giving guest lectures at Georgetown, has mentioned some instances that make Charlie think that he may be the focus of a stalker. Charlie's seen enough in the cases he's consulted on that if he's suspicious, there's probably something to it; but he can't seem to get his friend to take it seriously. At this point, from what he's told Charlie, his friend hasn't made any police reports or otherwise documented the incidents, so there isn't really a case -yet- to follow up on, but you and I both know that a lack of documentation doesn't mean there's isn't anything going on."

"Do you think that your brother's friend may be fabricating events to get his attention or stir something up?"

"I worried about it until I looked him up and got some more info from Charlie. If anything, from what Charlie mentioned, and what I've read up on him, the situation is probably worse than he's letting Charlie know about."

"So you want us to look into it?" Aaron prompted.

"If you can. I mean, I know there may be nothing to it, but Charlie's been able to pick up on patterns I wouldn't even look for, so...."

"Well, I can't promise anything, but give me his information, and I'll get in contact with him. If nothing else, perhaps I'll be able to get him to take the matter more seriously." Aaron offered. 

"Thanks, Aaron, Charlie and I both appreciate it. Have a pen?"

"In hand." Aaron agreed, taking down the information as Don dictated. When he'd finished, he read it back, made plans to take the other agent out when he came back for a planned refresher at the end of the year, then hung up. 

Glancing back down at the note in front of him, Aaron re-read the note to himself turning it into a question: "Dr. Spencer Reid, just what exactly has Don Eppes and his brother concerned for your safety? ... And why are you trying to ignore it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nietzsche wrote, “The irrationality of a thing is not an argument against its existence, rather a condition of it.”

A week and two difficult cases had passed before Aaron found himself able to follow up on Don's request, but finally, after finishing the last report on the resolution - such as it was - of the accusations against Charles Mulgrew aka Benjamin Cyrus and the Separatarian Sect in La Plata county, Aaron found himself on the second floor of the Langham apartments.

The door to apartment #23 opened on his second knock, and a thin young man (twenty-six according to Garcia's report, but looking barely in his twenties to Aaron) dressed grey-brown khakis, an amber brown corduroy suit jacket over a well-washed, worn nut-brown sweater, a loose-fitting cream polyester button-up shirt, and a blue tie with purple pen stripes stepped back opening the door wider as he studied Hotch.

"Can I help you, Agent...?" Dr. Reid asked, uncertainly.

"Hotchner, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, I work with..."

"The Behavioral Analysis Unit at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes." Dr. Reid finished for him before asking, "Has something happened to Ethan?" The doctor's already pallid complexion paled further, causing Aaron to worry whether the doctor was about to pass out.

"Ethan Rhys?" Aaron questioned and continued at the doctor's nod, "no, to the best of my knowledge, Ethan is..." Aaron answered trying to reassure the man.

"To the best of your knowledge? Your phrasing implies he's no longer working with your unit. What did he do? No, please disregard that. I'm sorry. I realize it was an inappropriate question you can't answer."

This was unexpected, but Aaron made a note to contact his former agent later and see what blanks Ethan could fill in about the doctor. He might not be able to trust Ethan in the field any longer, but he still trusted Ethan's ability to read others.

"Thank you for understanding that I can't discuss anything related to Ethan's work with the FBI; I can tell you however that the reason I'm here is not related to him in any way that I know of. May I come in?"

"Oh, Of course, please come in. I've forgotten my manners. Can I get you something to drink? I was making some coffee."

"That would be fine." Aaron answered, circling the room as Dr. Reid walked straight toward what Aaron assumed was a kitchenette.

The room's decor was surprisingly well put-together in contrast to the mismatched colors, cut, and materials of the doctor's clothing.

Avocado green walls were framed by mahogany-stained trim, moldings, and door frames that matched and offset nicely the cognac dyed leather couch and arm chairs loosely circling a low mahogany coffee table. Polished wall sconces filled the room with diffused light that was still bright enough to reflect off the shining horn of a graphone phonograph, turntable, and mahogany base that decorated one end table. The end table at the other end of the displayed a restored hand-turned 1880's electro-magnetic generator and a polished mahogany-handled trephane.

The warm red-gold tones of the antiques were carried across the couch by almost artistically-placed rough-woven sunset-orange and gold pillows. The weave was echoed across the room by in throw rugs and a hall-runner between the sitting room and the hall - presumably to the bed and bath area. Large windows were framed with striped ivory and pink curtains that Aaron suspected were probably Dr. Reid's contribution to the room's decor - for their absolute lack of coordination with the rest of the room. Thin bookshelves bracketed the desk, filled with a mix of the texts that Dr. Reid was probably using in his research, but outside of those two shelves, the shelves that lined the remaining walls were filled with classic literature, first editions, translations, and reprints ranging from 14th and 15th century literature.

In fact, other than the almost memorial-like arrangement of photos forming a horizon over the antique roll-top desk centered against the wall opposite the bay windows, the only other items that spoke to Aaron of being Dr. Reid's were two knee-high stacks of books at one end of the desk, a hand-drawn sketch of a knight from a chess set sitting nearby a small cherry-wood game table, a slinky, and a set of quartz pyramids being used as paper weights. Aside from those few items, and the curtains, Aaron discerned a woman's touch.. a woman's taste, but not aesthetics of a contemporary... more the refinement of ...

"Agent Hotchner," Dr. Reid prompted, holding out a CalTech coffee mug.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"Of course. Please have a seat." Reid gestured toward one of the arm-chairs before pulling the other around and setting his own mug down.

"You said that you were here for some other reason than to discuss Ethan?" Reid prompted.

"Yes, I have been asked to follow up on... concerns... stemming from one or more incidents you alluded to in conversation with Dr. Charles Eppes."

"Agent Hotchner, I appreciate that you took time out of your schedule to inquire into the matter; however, while I do have concerns, I'm afraid that there probably isn't anything you would find actionable." 

Aaron watched the doctor's face as he spoke. The man's expression seemed uncomfortable and slightly apologetic.

"Why don't you describe the items or incidents that have prompted your concerns? I may be able to offer an objective opinion." Aaron offered, and for a millisecond, Aaron thought he saw a micro-expression of hope cross the other man's face, before it settled back to resignation.

"Thank you for the offer, Agent... but I don't want to waste your time with complaints I can't substantiate or complicated explanations for patterns that could be ... subjective."

Recognizing from the doctor's tone and expression that pressing for more information when there might not be anything that could be substantiated, would not be productive, Aaron thanked him for the coffee, returned the cup. As they reached the door, though, he paused, took out his wallet and pulled a card out. Before he handed it to the doctor, he glanced around the room another time and commented:

"Because I have had years of training and experience on the job, by studying this room, I can tell that you cherish the close - but not co-dependent - relationship you have or had with your mother, and want to bring her home, despite the fact that she has been hospitalized for schizophrenia. You have designed and maintained your apartment to be a safe, calming environment for her, over your own preferences, despite the fact that she's not currently in residence - telling me that you have an in-depth knowledge of how to do so and a ready willingness to sacrifice your own convenience and comfort for others, which also suggests that you provided a great deal of her care before her hospitalization."

"Because I am good at my job, I recognize that one of the reasons you hesitate to discuss or report your concerns is that you don't trust your own observations and don't want to risk exposing possible flaws in your mental state that might prevent you from being put in a position to care for your mother, which I believe is less of a concern than I think you believe at the moment."

"Because I'm very good at my job, I can look at the incidents troubling you and tell you - objectively- whether the patterns you believe you are seeing, are something to be concerned about either in terms of your own mental state or from being instigated by a third party, which I believe is more likely."

"Please," Aaron paused to study the doctor's wide-eyed expression before he pressed the card into the other man's hand, then continued with "think about it and call me if you reconsider. I very much prefer working cases where we prevent negative outcomes to the ones where we're left explaining how and why they happened in the aftermath", before he turned and left the startled man standing in his doorway.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry, Sir. He's just about to go on stage. Can I have him call you back?"

"Yes, please let him know that I'm calling about a Dr. Spencer Reid." Aaron requested and had her read his number and the message back to him before thanking her and hanging up.

He made a note in his planner to call Ethan again in the morning and returned his attention to the report in his lap when his cell phone vibrated on the end table.

"SSA Hotchner," he answered formally, only belatedly recognizing Director Strauss's personal cell number. "Good evening, Director. Do I need to..."

"...Explain why I just received a very vehement call from Dr. Rhys informing me that the FBI and the BAU, in particular, should keep it's 'dirty mitts' off of a Dr. Spencer Reid? Yes, you do need to explain that, thoroughly. I was under the impression that your team is not currently assigned a case and that we were in agreement not to attempt any further recruiting from the scientific community for the BAU." The director's arch tone and accusatory phrasing instantly deepened Aaron's feelings of exhaustion and had him pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Director, let me assure you, the BAU is not attempting to recruit Dr. Reid. I have simply been asked by a member of the L.A. field office to look into a potential stalker targeting Dr. Reid."

"And how exactly, is Dr. Rhys involved in this?"

"Only tangentially. Dr. Reid and Ethan attended some of the same classes and were acquaintances. My sole purpose in calling Ethan was to request any insights he may have regarding Dr. Reid - in terms of victimology."

"Given that Dr. Rhys did not grasp the context of your message, it leaves me to wonder how effective you were or weren't in communicating your request? Or perhaps, you -yourself- may have some ambiguity regarding why you were calling Dr. Rhys. Is it possible that you are, in fact, interested in recruiting Dr. Reid, Agent Hotchner, and Dr. Rhys, whom you previously claimed to be an excellent profiler, picked up on your true intentions? Before you answer that, please let me remind you that your previous recruitment attempts have dearly cost your team and this agency in terms of reputation and inter-agency collaboration. I am certain that you must be aware that these failures have placed your own reputation and continuation with the bureau under close scrutiny that would not look favorably upon a similar failure in the future."

"Ma'am, if you would prefer that I not look into this, I will let SSA Eppes know that I can't." Aaron challenged politely.

As much as the director might harp on inter-agency collaboration, Aaron knew that she was too politically-oriented to order the refusal of an interdepartmental request, especially from one of the so-called 'rising stars' of a field office as big as the L.A. field office.

"I do not remember saying or implying anything of the sort, but perhaps you have become so accustomed to misreading situations that you are unable to recognize that distinction. As long as we are clear on your purposes in contacting Dr. Rhys and with regard to Dr. Reid, I see no difficulty in honoring the request, as long as you are not allowing it to interfere with your assigned cases and other duties; however, I firmly suggest that you bring the matter to a swift resolution... And Agent Hotchner, make very certain that Dr. Rhys understands that he is to lose my personal number."

"Understood, Director." Aaron bit out a moment before the beep of her call ending sounded.

"Damn it, Ethan." Aaron cursed under his breath as he redialed the number that Garcia had given him as Ethan's last known contact.

His call was answered on the first ring and Ethan answered in a succinctly hostile tone. "What?"

"He's being stalked, Ethan, not recruited." Aaron bit out. He didn't have any certain proof, and shouldn't have commented beforehand, but given Ethan's readiness to overreact on Doctor Reid's behalf, Aaron suspected it would be the only way to get the man's cooperation.

"Well, damn it. I knew that something was up with him, but he's harder to pin down than Morgan on the name of his last 'date'." 

Aaron recognized the weak attempt at humor as an olive branch, but continued without remarking on the attempt, "What can you tell me about Dr. Reid?"

"Trying to figure out the victimology angle?" Ethan assumed, correctly, continuing, "Well, we roomed together a couple of semesters while he was getting his second doctorate, so I can probably fill in quite a bit. In terms of lifestyle, Spence is the definition of low risk: he avoids going out after dark if at all possible; as far as I know, outside of speaking engagements, academic conferences, and the grocery store, the only place he goes is the university library; and he avidly tries to avoid upsetting others. I suspect that part of the reason he doesn't socialize is that he's on the functional side of the asperger's scale and has a side helping of avoidant personality disorder, but there's an equal chance that it's a conditioned response.'

"How so?" 

'Well, if I didn't know otherwise, I'd swear that there was such a thing as a masochistic pheromone - because that boy is an absolute magnet for bullies, gossips, and nut jobs ... and from what I've seen it's without doing a thing to provoke them. Aaron, he's this odd mixture of the shy, clumsy nerd who everybody felt superior to in high-school and compelled to prove it, the smartest guy in the room, and so far above everyone in intelligence and intuition that he's almost intimidating for the fact. Because of it and his tendency to miss social cues, I think he's only made about three friends in his life and all of them in college. Before that, well, from what little he's shared, I think it's safe to say he's been the favorite scapegoat/whipping boy in almost every situation he's been exposed to. You know about his mom and dad?"

"I haven't pulled up a background check, yet, but from what I saw in his apartment today, I'd say an absentee father and an institutionalized mother." Aaron replied quietly.

Ethan responded with a surprised whistle, commenting, "Damn, I'd forgotten how good you are with those off the cuff readings. You're right on the mark. The bastard left them when Spencer was about ten and his mother was already having what he calls 'bad days' but what most everyone else would call a melt down, if not a psychotic break - without even hiring help to take care of Spence's mom. It was all left on Spence to do. I didn't even know until after he'd had to commit her and had trouble paying rent on top of her care that the bastard had never even sent a single dime to help support them.'

'I don't guess I have to get into detail about what type of activities that I suspect Spence had to do to support them both, but as far as I know there aren't a lot of legitimate jobs in Vegas that will pay that kind of money to a child, no matter how smart he is. He's never been willing to talk about it, but between scars he won't explain and seeing enough nightmares end with him screaming to 'get off him' I can take a fair guess. After she was committed, he was able to start taking speaking engagements as a guest lecturer, and he's close to a celebrity in his field of theoretical research, with some fans who haven't been on the strictly sane side as far as I'm concerned, but I suppose his stalker could be someone he 'knew' in Vegas."

Aaron let everything Ethan was saying filter through his attention the way he would have in analyzing case, slotting each detail into the victim profile that he had already started for the doctor and was considering his next question for Ethan when the phone buzzed in his hand and alerted him to an incoming call. Glancing at the screen, it took Aaron a second to recognize the number, but when he did, he hurried to tell Ethan that the doctor was on the other line. 

Before Aaron could promise to follow up, afterward, Ethan ordered him to hang up and get his ass in gear as 'Spence' wouldn't call for anything less than an emergency."

The doctor's voice, when Aaron answered, sounded shaky with fear and revulsion as he asked, "Agent Hotchner would it be possible to meet with you? I - I ... something was left at... no... in... something was left in my house that I think might be actionable."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  In every work of art, the subject is primordial, whether the artist knows it or not.  
> The measure of the formal qualities is only a sign of the measure of the artist's obsession with his subject;  
> the form is always in proportion to the obsession. _Alberto Giacometti_  
> 

"Throughout History, the number 1.61803399, referred to by the Greek letter Phi (spelled 'p' 'h' 'i' though its commonly pronounced 'fee') ...has fascinated philosophers, scientists, and artists. Depending on the field of inquiry, Phi is also known by the names the so-called 'Golden' Ratio, Number, Proportion, Mean, Section, or alternately the 'Divine' Proportion or Section. Euclid wrote about it in the “Elements” treatise around 300 B.C., by Luca Pacioli, in “De Divina Proportione” in 1509, by Johannes Kepler around 1600 and by Dan Brown in 2003 in, “The Da Vinci Code.” Ironically, or perhaps not so ironically, Luca Pacioli was actually a contemporary of Leonardo Da Vinci and given their interest in the Phi were quite likely correspondents. The number reflects the ratio of each number in a Fibonacci sequence to its preceding number" ... Dr. Reid continued to ramble as he stirred the tenth or eleventh sugar into his coffee.

Aaron just watched him, quietly observing the rate at which the doctor's still-shaking hands and pallid complexion normalized. 

They had left the search of doctor's apartment to Rossi's supervision after the local officers had confirmed very subtle but present indicators of a break-in and the presence of an intruder on the apartment complex's security videos. When Derek commented on the doctor's fragile edginess as he watched the officer's dust and print almost every conceivable surface of his home, Aaron had decided the doctor's statement would probably go better back at the office and quickly ushered the younger man out. 

Suddenly, the doctor seemed to realize that Aaron had been silent for several minutes since the barista had served them, then dropped the stir stick and flushed - muttering, "Sorry, I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear that." Dr. Reid's eyes had a downcast, self-repressed sadness that suggested he often found himself among audiences who had little interest in any topics he was interested in discussing.

"Actually, I was finding it rather interesting. " Aaron answered, holding the cafe door open for them to exit. As they turned to cross the street to the BAU's office, he continued, "My math skills were only sufficient to acquire a law degree, so I probably wouldn't have a full appreciation of the math behind it, but its history sounds fascinating. I take it that phi is one of your areas of study?" Aaron answered with a smile, hoping to put the doctor more at ease. Now, that there was seemingly some evidence that the doctor had been right to be concerned, Aaron hoped to draw out the details of what previous events had occurred.

"Yes," Dr. Reid agreed. "I have ... My ... I ... Actually," Reid stammered before retreating to his previous lecture, apparently not ready to continue at the moment. "Throughout the 20th century, numerous studies focused on phi to analyze the preference for the golden ratio in terms of aesthetics, socialization, and other focuses with an overall disappointing trend toward inconclusive results in part to those who alternately promote spiritual causes over intelligent design or scientific causes. . with the greatest tendency among the majority of psychologists to dismiss any suggested preference the golden section an a priori as a 'numerological fantasy'. My interest is not in proving an inherent, inherited, or socially-constructed preference in any direction; instead ... I considering have been studying its applicability as a therapy tool and the subsequent feasibility of utilizing it in space, home, and activity design to ... enhance the lives of patients ... "

The doctor trailed off awkwardly as they reached the small conference room the team used to consult with outside officers and victims, but Aaron had heard enough that he thought he understood and having previously seen the doctor's home believed he was interpreting the premise correctly... at least enough to possibly ease the younger man's entry into what would probably be an uncomfortable discussion that was obviously pending with their arrival.

"Well, as I said, my math skills are a bit lackluster; however, if I understood you correctly, you are hoping to compose a system which uses the proportional properties of Phi to design, organize, and provide vulnerable patients aesthetically calming environments?" Aaron asked and had to fight a grin when the doctor jerked his head up and almost shouted 'Yes!" wearing an expression of startled delight that Aaron found somewhat charming.

"It is an interesting proposition, but to integrate it into daily living sounds like it might be quite complex, and possibly not feasible to follow on a regular basis," Aaron commented gently, having the sudden suspicion that the doctor might be resting more of his hopes than he should on the possibility that he could develop a viable treatment for his mother. The weight of such unrealistic expectations could be quite devastating.

"I know," Dr. Reid answered solemnly, then continued, "and even if I can come up with a comprehensive architecture for the system - sufficient to use even on an individual basis, it might take longer than... some might have left and the expense of setting it up even for just one individual will possibly be quite extensive. "

"I can see how it would be," Aaron agreed.

Hoping he had given the doctor enough time to distance himself from his earlier shock without and concerned that the direction of the conversation might be headed back into an equally distressing direction, Aaron decided to broach getting Dr. Reid's statement.

"Dr. Reid, while I would like to hear more about your research, I am afraid that we need to discuss the break in, and I need to take your statement."

"Of course, I understand. As I was saying, phi..."

"Dr, Reid, perhaps it would be better if let me ask some basic questions then move on from there" Aaron interrupted, suspecting that the doctor had been about down another avoidant segue, not feeling ready to discuss the invasion of what was most likely a very personal sanctum the doctor was trying build not only for himself but his mother.

"Okay." Dr. Reid agreed, folding his still slightly trembling hands on the table.

"Thank you. If at any time, you need a break, please tell me."

Waiting a second for the younger man to nod, Aaron began, "First, do you know or have any suspicion who broke into your apartment?"

Reid gave a negative head shake, but Aaron had expected as much.

"Okay. As we previously discussed, SSA Eppes contacted me regarding his brother's concerns that you are possibly being stalked. May I ask how long this has been going on?"

"I can't say for certain, but the first time that I started to notice the pattern was March 5, 2003," Reid answered quietly.

"Dr. Reid, 2003? Can you please explain why you believe that you have been targeted by a stalker for the better part of five years and have not involved the authorities?" Aaron asked, perhaps more than a bit too harshly, but seriously five years?

"I did say that I only had complaints that I couldn't substantiate and complicated explanations for patterns that could be subjective," Reid answered, dejectedly, with the exact same phrase he had used when they had first spoken, but this time Aaron caught the unspoken implication.

"Which tells me that you have reported them but were turned away on both of those reasons." Aaron speculated

Reid's uncomfortable shrug of agreement only made the young man seem even younger, causing Aaron to pause and consider how young the doctor would have been when the stalking started... barely 19, if Aaron's calculations were correct, and Ethan had mentioned that Reid had hospitalized his mother only just a year earlier and probably hadn't entirely reconciled himself to the stress of the decision, by the point that the so-called 'complicated pattern' had begun to... Wait.

"Complicated patterns. Is that why you were explaining phi?" Aaron demanded incredulously feeling like he should be slapping himself on the back of the head as he'd once seen another agent do.

"Yes, Sir." Reid agreed quietly. "Every incident that I noticed either followed the Fibonacci sequence or reflected one of the visual representations of Phi... like the photomosaic left in my apartment."

"Just a minute," dialing Garcia, Aaron had her conference the team, then set the phone down between them, and asked, "Can you please explain to my team what you were just telling me?"

"Throughout History, the number..." Reid began, but trailed off when Aaron aborted the explanation with a wave, correcting his order with a gentle smile, "How the photo fits the phi pattern, and then some examples of the incidents that you've noticed over the past five years." (Ethan had warned him that Reid wasn't strong with social cues.)

"Oh... Okay. Each of the seven photos in the photomosiac reflects the segmentation of what's called a Golden Rectangle. If you look at the ratio of the largest photo on the page. It is a square that the rectangle of the photopaper is 1.61803399 larger than. In the rectangular segment reflecting the other .61803399 measure of the rectangle that the square did not cover, the second picture is a square that the rectangular segment is 1.61803399 larger than. Each of the thirteen pictures in the mosaic fit this pattern. The ratio is referred to as the Golden Ratio and the number is called phi. Since March 5, 2003. I have noticed different random events that match either a Fibonacci sequence where each number in the sequence approaches the ratio of 1.61803399 to its preceding number as the numbers grow increasingly higher."

"Hey, Kid. This is Agent Derek Morgan. I hate to say it, but you're losing me here." Thankfully, as Dr. Reid appeared about to give them a more in-depth explanation, Derek continued. "Could you just give us some examples, and if we don't catch the connections, then you can explain them to us?"

"Uhmm, sure." the doctor answered sounding uncertain and a bit deflated, reminding Aaron once again of his earlier impression that Reid was frequently stuck with others who had little to no interest in anything he was interested in discussing. The doctor began to describe instances that were in an of themselves difficult to point to as particularly threatening, like phone calls in the middle of the night that would ring in the increasing pattern of the Fibonacci sequence (the first night, one ring the first hour, one the second hour, two rings the next hour, three the next, then five, then eight, then thirteen repeated the next night, then two nights later, then three nights later, then five, then eight, then thirteen nights later before the sequence restarted.) Unsigned postcards with phi representations inviting him to different events in the college community. His doorknob rattling again in the sequence. Handwritten strike-throughs on articles he'd published that were left in his mailboxes at work and home.

Individually, they would have hardly gotten a law enforcement officer's notice, but on the whole, it definitely had his team's attention, and they spent close to twenty-five minutes discussing the details of each example before Derek suddenly asked them to go off conference call so he could speak to Aaron privately. Raising his hand to acknowledge Dr. Reid's immediately unnerved expression, Aaron took the phone back and walked a few yards away.

"Morgan, what's going on?" Derek wasn't usually this clumsy with victim's perceptions.

"The locals found hidden cameras in each of the rooms. Whoever's behind it has been watching him. From the dust on the camera cases, it looks like they've been doing so for a pretty long time."

"I see," Aaron answered with a grimace.

"And Hotch, there were twelve of them: one in the hall, one in the kitchen, two in the sitting room, three in the bath, and ... five ... in the bedroom."

The significance of locations with the most cameras wasn't lost on either of them, but Derek apparently still felt the need to comment on it.

"Hotch, man, I really don't like where this is going."


	5. Chapter 5

"This really isn't necessary." Dr. Reid protested for the sixteenth time since Aaron had informed the doctor that he had a choice between Aaron putting him up for the night, going home with Derek, or going home with Rossi, which he suspected -from the doctor's quick glance that the older agent - that the doctor might have preferred if Dave had not looked quite as dour at the prospect as he had.

"Doctor, Agent Todd has started on arrangements for a safe house and should have them in place by tomorrow afternoon after the paperwork from the local police department has been processed and approved by our director; however, for the time being… it would be advisable to have a member of the team with you and returning to your own residence is out of the question.” Aaron continued mildly-frustrated at the doctor’s refusal. 

Despite agreeing to the precautions Aaron had suggested, including relocating and the protection detail that Aaron had talked the detective in charge into after it Garcia managed to get them ‘invited’ on to the case by matching the women images in the photo mosaic to five missing women from in and around Virginia, the doctor had been stubbornly insistent on not ‘imposing’ on the team’s hospitality during the interim while arrangements were being made… particularly after the lead detective had hinted that he didn’t think the doctor should be going anywhere aside from the local pd’s holding cells until they ruled the doctor out as a suspect in the missing women’s disappearances. 

Thankfully, Garcia had preemptively done a little of her own investigation anticipating the possibility of the claim when she thought the detective was giving Reid, the ‘evil eye’ with his repeated comments- seeming to suspect that the detective would have been more than willing to pin the five overlooked and unsolved cases on Dr. Reid and call it a day. Within minutes of the detective’s suggestion, Garcia had proven (to detective’s disappointment) that not only was Reid’s stalker the author and deliverer of the photo mosaic but that she could verify Reid’s presence elsewhere for the dates and times reported for each woman’s disappearance.

If anything, the doctor’s calm, composed acceptance of Aaron’s suggestions had left Aaron caught off-guard when the doctor suddenly refused to room with himself, Derek, or Dave until the safe house and protection detail could be set up- especially as the doctor had been very definitely rattled by Aaron’s report of what the team had found in the doctor’s apartment.

> The mixed relief that had briefly crossed Dr. Reid’s expression when Aaron had confirmed that the doctor hadn’t been imagining things abruptly shifted to alarm as Aaron continued detailing what the team had found in terms of cameras, crawl spaces showing evidence of recent entry to maintain the cameras and possibly retrieve recorded media, and that the knob on the entrance door had been re-keyed to accept Reid’s key and a so-called master key that no-longer matched the landlords master key. The last had been Dave’s discovery after the older man posited that regular maintenance of the cameras would require a fairly undetectable means of entry and a few questions to the neighbors confirmed fairly regular sightings of a man entering with a key when the doctor was out that they hadn’t questioned precisely because the man had a key and dropped by ‘so often’. By the time Aaron had given his brief report, Dr. Reid was pallid and almost glassy-eyed and sitting so still-ly that one might have thought that the doctor was attempting to evade notice of unknown predator in the room with them. Aaron had seen the response before, but somehow, on the doctor's thin frame and delicate features, it seemed even more pronounced, and Aaron - despite his years of dealing with the targets of stalkers and serial killers - was surprised to find himself at a loss for how to offer his reassurances without making trite and transparent promises to the younger man, whom he was certain would see through them and who eas at that moment highlighting the deficiency by suddenly reaching out to grip the table as he simultaneously seemed to fall into a struggle to breath. 
> 
> ~~ _A panic attack… hyperventilating..._ ~~~ 
> 
> Aaron’s thoughts finally engaged as he moved forward and caught the doctor’s upper arm in a gentle grip only to be reminded by the rapid increase in the doctor’s panicked breathing of an earlier insight that Aaron had initially picked up during their first conversation and later confirmed with Ethan's assessment:
> 
> ~~~ _Possibly in the Asperger’s syndrome range of the Autism Spectrum._ ~~~ 
> 
> Releasing his grip quickly, Aaron scanned the sparse conference room for something to use as a focal point and came up empty before a thought struck and he quickly dug out his wallet flipping it out to display his credentials.. 
> 
> ’Doctor…Dr. Reid… “ He called for the younger man’s attention, sliding the badge into the path of a seemingly unseeing gaze, and carefully - barely touching the younger man’s wrist as he pulled his nearest hand over - positioned the doctor’s shaking fingers so that they dropped on the edge of the cool metal shield when Aaron released his grip. As they did, he ordered in a quiet but firm tone, “Try to focus on the shield. Trace it with your finger. Good. Focus on its shape. Just on it. I’m sure you can interpret the symbols. Where else you’ve seen them…” Aaron coaxed watching Reid’s breathing even out as he focused on the shield. Aaron had suspected that engaging the Doctor’s mind would work better than trying to get the doctor to focus on and control his panicked responses. “Can you tell me what they represent?” he continued in a low tone when the doctor’s breathing had evened out. 
> 
> “The background shield is rather obvious,” Dr. Reid near-whispered in a shaky voice,” representative of systematized heraldic devices during the High Middle Ages for purposes of battlefield identification used as late as the 20th century referring to hand-held devices or those attached to arm and used used by military and police units that specialize in anti-terrorist actions, hostage rescue, riot control and siege-breaking. The modern term usually reflects strong defence and protective capabilities.” Reid summarized in a voice that still shook but that seemed to carry a tone suggesting that he had interpreted and understood the underlying message that Aaron had been hoping to get across without making blatant promises that he couldn’t guarantee. _(“Shield”, Wikipedia)_
> 
> As he continued the doctor’s voice seemed to stabilize, “Eagles are an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the "King of Birds" in contrast to the lion, the "King of Beasts", but in this sense clearly reflect the adoption of the Bald Eagle as the national bird and national animal of the United States despite the irony that the Bald Eagle has repeatedly faced local extinction regardless of this status. The central emblem reflects allegorical personification of morality in and of judicial systems originating from ancient Roman art that depicts justice as personified in a female form named Lustitia or Justitia, the Roman equivalents of the the Greek goddesses Themis and Dike who represented justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement based on immemorial custom, in the sense of socially enforced norms and conventional rules, according to Hesiod.” _(“Eagle”, “Justitia” , and “Dike”, Wikipeda)_
> 
> By the time he finished his recitation, though still pale, Dr. Reid’s breathing had returned to normal and the doctor’s composure had stabilized sufficiently for the young man to remember that Aaron had mentioned needing to get his statement. When he asked if there was a particular form that he needed to fill out to give his statement, Aaron paused to study him for several seconds, dismissing the fact that Dr. Reid seemed unable to look him directly in the eyes as more confirmation of his earlier insight, before nodding and stepping out in the the guise of getting a pad, but in reality giving the younger man several minutes to himself as there were a supply of testimony forms already stored in one of the drawers in the conference room.. (It was, after all, one of the places they interviewed victims.)
> 
> Surprisingly, despite his tendency toward rambling verbal explanations, the doctor wrote out his testimony in very concrete and persuasive manner perhaps taking into consideration Derek’s earlier suggestion to give examples of incidents and linkages to the fibonacci; although Aaron suspected that it stemmed more from the doctor’s dissertation experience as the doctor had included section titles, cross-references, page numbers, and footnotes in the document that spanned the front and back of nine forms. As he reviewed the testimony before passing it to Rossi, who had ambled in while the doctor had been writing, Aaron had to fight himself not to ask the doctor how he could have doubted his perceptions - given the number and frequency of incidents he had delineated.
> 
> After giving the thick pack a startled look and thumbing through the pages to see that all of the pages were actually covered front and back - down to the middle of the ninth page where the doctor’s neat precise writing transformed into a scrawled squiggle of curls and shapes that could only legally be called a signature, Rossi stared at the doctor until the young man shifted uncomfortably.
> 
> ”Rossi?” Aaron half-questioned, half-demanded trying to drag his teammate’s attention away from Reid before he upset the doctor or possibly triggered another panic attack.
> 
> Rossi’s eyes stayed fixed on the doctor, though, as he challenged, “Why didn’t you report this?” When Reid opened his mouth to protest, Rossi waved away whatever he had been about to say adding, “No, I saw your notations for the different times that you ‘reported’ it to the police. What I want to know is why you didn’t give them a report like this?” He held up the packet by way of explanation. “If you had given them this type of report, you can’t tell me they wouldn’t have followed up on it. What are you into that you haven’t wanted the locals to find out about?” 
> 
> ”N-nothing,” stammered the shocked doctor. “I’m not into anything. I haven’t done anything.” But Aaron understood what Rossi was getting at, even though Reid didn’t and probably hadn’t considered how his lack of follow up might be perceived. 
> 
> ”Dave…” Aaron wanted to explain that the other agent was misreading the situation, not aware of the fact that Dr. Reid had been afraid of having doubt cast on his mental state and ability to care for his mother, but hesitated at a pleading look from Reid as he finally seemed to understand. Before he could assure Reid that Rossi wouldn’t act on the knowledge or pass it to anyone else, the remainder of the team arrived, including Garcia, who had wanted to deliver a report on her findings before calling it s night. Aaron didn’t need to be a profiler to know that revealing the doctor’s previously held self-doubt of his perceptions and sanity to the group would be a irredeemably bad idea, and had made an abortive gesture toward Rossi and began the discussion of precautions to keep the doctor safe before Rossi could try to override the dismissal. 

”Oh My God!” Garcia finally called out in exasperation, before turning to Reid with an almost apologetic smile, “I’m sorry, Honey, but as brilliant as my super handsome, studly, G-men are - sometimes these Alpha-male types just don’t get it.” 

Seeing that Reid seemed relieved if utterly embarrassed by her comment, Aaron turned to her raising a questioning eyebrow, but instead of explaining, Garcia simply gestured toward him with ‘see-what-I-mean’ gesture and expression that earned a thready, weak, but there chuckle from Reid, then ordered, “You’re coming home with me. I have a spare room you can hole up in, and a perfectly fluffy couch that god’s gift to women everywhere” (a gesture to Derek earned a second weak chuckle) “can sleep on, ANNNNNDDDDD” she drawled the word out interrupting Reid when he appeared about to object again, “TEN FULL Seasons of Dr. Who for your viewing pleasure. Plus, once we get settled in, I can help you skype our favorite Jazz-loving former G-Man on my laptop so you two can catch up.”

Aaron wasn’t certain whether it was Penelope’s ridiculous approach to taking charge, her mention of a potential Dr. Who marathon, or the chance to catch up with their mutual friend Dr. Rhys that had Reid staring at Garcia in slightly bewildered awe, but whatever it was, the doctor finally nodded his acquiescence after a glance at him then Morgan to see if it would be permitted.

”Let’s go, then.” Garcia answered closing out the meeting that had already been finishing up with the last question of where Reid would be staying until the safe house could be arranged. Grabbing Derek’s arm, she dragged her amused colleague over to stand beside the doctor’s chair as the slightly dazed man hurried to stand and adjust the courier bag he’d carried with him since leaving his apartment. 

”Morgan, I’ll call you as soon as we have the safe house in place. Prentiss, continue with Reid’s neighbors tomorrow; I’d like to see if there are any other observations they have made regarding the unsub. Any conversations they may have had. Whether anyone’s seen coming or going. What vehicle he drives if they have seen him leaving. Goodnight everyone.“ Aaron dismissed them and picked up the doctor’s testimony again, hoping that the doctor hadn’t noticed him excluding Rossi from the list of instructions. Unfortunately, based on the apprehensive gaze that the doctor shot Aaron as Garcia pulled him out of the room, Aaron’s attempt to speak with Dave in private hadn’t gone unnoticed. Expecting to see a second pleading gaze, Aaron was surprised to receive instead a small nod of resigned permission before the younger man turned away. 

Turning back to David, whom he hadn’t needed to tell to stay behind, Aaron was again surprised when, instead of picking up his previous line of questioning, his long-time friend asked, “So just how long have you known our good doctor?”

”What? Two days, why?”

”Really?” Rossi sounded almost disbelieving. “Just an observation, but for such a short acquaintance, you two seem to have a pretty strong rapport.”

His friend’s tone was more than slightly suggestive, but Aaron dismissed the thought immediately. Dave was completely off-base, and anyways, it had already been a very, very long day since being called by Reid the previous night. Instead of discussing it, however, he laid out what he had theorized and the doctor tacitly but unspokenly admitted to regarding the doctor’s worry about caring for his mother - only leaving off when he was satisfied by his friend’s sympathetic and slightly guilty expression that Rossi wouldn’t be picking up his previous line of questioning again. With that done, Aaron bid Rossi good night and went back to examining Dr. Reid’s testimony - waving Rossi off when he offered to stay. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.”  
> ― _Ian McEwan, Atonement_

Smiling as he looked up from his notes to watch Garcia hustling around her apartment in mother-hen-on-overdrive mode, Derek shook his head in amusement.

For all of its clutter, he truly didn’t believe the apartment could be even a dust mote cleaner as the surface beneath each and every knick-knack shined as though newly purchased, and the surfaces that couldn’t shine by virtue of their makeup had been windex’ed, comet’ed, or lysol’ed into sterility.

Given that her impromptu guest projected a likely propensity toward suffering from some form of germaphobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, or all of the above, Derek could understand her precaution, but really, enough was enough!

Straightening up for an unexpected guest was one thing, going on a genocidal campaign to eradicate all microbial life-forms was another. Especially when the recipient of said hospitality wasn’t even conscious to appreciate the gesture.

The exhausted doctor had gone to bed barely ten minutes after taking Penelope up on her offer to skype Ethan, who looked remarkably better than the last time Derek had seen Rhys (on a late and rainy night when the former agent had appeared on his doorstep had shown up on his doorstep to shove a grocery bag into Derek’s hands with the order to “Take them before I do something stupid”. Even before opening the bag, Derek had known roughly what he would find if not the amount and variety. In the weeks after coming off the Georgia case, Ethan had massed a rather surprising supply of alcohol and controlled substances, including three dirt smudged vials of diluadid.) It was good to see that their former teammate hadn’t drowned under the weight of his demons and seemed to be getting back on track - or that he could , at least, project enough an air of seeming to be getting back on track to prevent Dr. Reid from redirecting the conversation - judging by the slightly biting humor that Ethan turned on the doctor when he started asking some surprisingly astute questions about why Ethan was no longer a member of the BAU, only to have Ethan turn the tables on him with questions about the case - . 

When the frequency of Dr. Reid’s yawns hit about every third comment, Ethan ordered the man to bed threatening to share the details of a ‘certain party’ held in their resident advisor’s dorm when the younger man initially objected. After giving a promise that he’d call the next day, Ethan had hurried Dr. Reid off with a blatant lie that he wanted some time to catch up with his former teammates- unless the seven seconds that it took to assure Garcia he’d seen his ‘sponsor’ that week and was still on track counted as catching up. After reminding Garcia that she had his home and work number and to call if Reid needed to talk, Ethan promptly hung up, and Garcia began her all-out assault on dust and germs. 

When he realized that Garcia was going to just ignore his now pointed stare, Derek finally set his tablet aside, stood up, stalked over, grabbed her wrists, and -gently- disarmed her as if she was carrying two revolvers instead of a scrubber and a spray bottle. Setting them tools on the kitchen counter, he guided her around it, still holding her wrists like he thought she would try to grab them up if he let her loose, and directed her around to the couch before giving a little push that she went with wearing an amused, slightly playful smile even as she bounced back up on her heels and almost slipped around him with surprising dexterity. 

”Oh, no you don’t.” Derek laughed, catching her again, easily, and plopping her back onto the couch ordering “Woman, you sit yourself down and explain what you meant about us ‘alpha-males’ not understanding why our guest wouldn’t want to room with Dave, Hotch, or me.”

”And you call yourself a profiler.” Garcia teased, lightly, adding “Let me see if I can find my ‘English to Caveman’ dictionary” as she hopped up again and skittered just out of his reach.

”Garcia,” he insisted a little more firmly. He really did want to understand what she had meant. From both her comment and the doctor’s reaction it had seemed like something that should be obvious that he just wasn’t seeing.

”If you’d thought about it a little more, I’m sure you’d get it.” Garcia answered, seeming to confirm his thought. “But, let me shine some brilliant sunshine into the cobwebby corners of that beautiful mind and remind you what highschool and college are like for bright unusually brilliant students who aren’t as lucky as some gifted with godly physiques and charms. When you stand out as much as our gentle doctor must have, earning his first Master’s about the time his voice broke, you might as well paint concentric red and white circles on everything you wear because you’re everybody’s target - especially the jock’s, cool kids, and the teachers who know that you know more than they do about pretty much everything.”

”I didn’t always have an athletic build…” Derek started to protest, but she overrode him, answering before he could get to that point, “And you would never have bullied him even if you had always had the bod of a god. I know, Hon, but that’s not his experience. I guarantee that for the past fifteen years, the darling doctor has only run into bullying and derision from jocks, cool kids, and older guys with egos… and since he’s never really left college, those are the reactions he’s been conditioned to expect. As much as you’ve grown beyond it, you have to admit that out of the personality types Dr. Reid would be familiar with, those are the ones that you, Hotch, and Rossi probably best fit. “

”Maybe.” Derek answered, not quite conceding to the point.

”I’ll take that as a resounding ‘Yes, Penelope, I see the wisdom of your words and bow to your greater knowledge in this area’,“ Garcia grinned and gave a light bow in demonstration.

”I wouldn’t quite go that far.” Derek laughed.

”Of course not, that’s why you need me to remind you of such earthly quibbles, besides how can you argue with success.” Her gesture toward the door to her spare room was as good as saying ‘I got him to come here, didn’t I?’ to which he answered raising his hands in surrender.

”You’d best get to bed, too, Baby girl. I have a feeling that tomorrow’s going to be another long day.

”Your wish is my command, My liege.” She agreed easily enough without him needing to explain that aside from two distinct scrape marks near the entry to the crawl spaces and some other barely there traces, the break ins had been almost indiscernible and the patterns that doctor had pointed out so ridiculously far out of the normal patterns they were trained and experienced in detecting that pinning down the unsub was going to require a monumental effort from all of the team working at their best. 

Before picking up his tablet again after she had passed him, gracing him with a peck on the cheek to say goodnight, Derek stopped and thought about her theory of the doctor’s reluctance to ‘impose’ on him, Hotch, or Rossi and admitted that she might have had a point. He didn’t think it was the only reason that Dr. Reid had been leary, but it may have had some impact. Back in the conference room, he had been trying to get his mind wrapped around the unsub’s M.O. and mindset, instead of the doctor’s, so hadn’t thought much beyond that.

Shrugging it off as a resolved and now moot point - aside from the mental note to take the possibility into consideration in his future dealings with the doctor- Derek retrieved his tablet and returned to studying the scanned copy of the Doctor’s testimony with a sigh. In the morning, he would be trying to see if he could review the various instances with Reid using cognitive interviews, but judging by the shear number of instances, his chances of getting distinct impressions of any one incidence without overlapping of five years’ worth of similar and repetitive instances - were exceedingly slim. While it was an underlying premise of profiling that similarities repeated over and over compose an unsub’s signature, five years was a lot of time for Dr. Reid’s mind to fill in some gaps with speculation, native fears, and supposition, which could easily become part of the doctor’s narrative of events regardless of their accuracy or more to the point, the doctor’s awareness of their inaccuracy. 

After reviewing the doctor’s statement and jotting down a list of particular elements that might bear further exploration during the next day’s interview, Derek had finally decided he was about as prepared as he was going to be and set the file aside to reach for the remote when he finally identified a noise that had been quietly repeating just outside of his previously focused attention. Immediately on alert, Derek carefully unsnapped the safety strap on his holster and slid his gun out and swiftly brought it into position as he neared the door. Halfway into the sitting room, he realized (at almost the exact same moment as he saw that the slide bolt on the inside of Garcia’s door was still still latched) that the sound was coming from the inside the apartment, down the short hall that first the doctor then his baby girl had toddled of to sleep. 

Knowing full well, from the months that he had spent helping Penelope remodel her apartment after being shot by Jason Clark Battle, that both her bedroom and guest bedroom each had a second door leading to a short hall not visible from the front door, instead of windows, Derek slid his gun back in it’s holster and moved down the hall. Having been occupying the sitting room couch as he had, Derek needed no other confirmation that the rooms were clear. At one end of the hall, there was a small third room barely larger than two walk in closets deep set up as a panic room. At the other end: a hidden door that had the appearance of a stuck sliding wall panel from the sitting room, but which could be pushed into the room from the hall side or pulled inward by hooking a finger into an exposed but otherwise non-functioning latch with a hook he’d placed several feet away along the wall to reinforce the impression of it being a sliding panel and pulled forward instead of pushing it to the side as the hook was meant to suggest. 

Reaching the nearest door, he was relieved to hear the only sounds coming from his ‘Baby Girl’s’ room were low echoes of upbeat dance mixes. As he moved beyond it, the change of directions made it easier to distinguish the soft moans and barely audible slurred words of protest and fear. 

”No… No… “ a soft cry carried through the closed door. “No, get off. Get off me! Get Off ME!!” and suddenly doubting his previous certainty that the room was cleared, Derek pushed through the door without knocking to find Dr. Reid sitting bolt straight, his knees pulled tightly to his chest, with his arms wrapped tightly around them. His skin was pallid and glazed in sweat; his eyes wide and unfocused; his breathing was stuttered, ragged, and raspy; and his expression had a note of something lost to it. Something stray, uncared for, and untrusting - lost; and Derek felt something sink in the pit of his stomach - remembering the feeling all to well. 

Before Derek had a chance to offer his reassurance or empathy, though, Dr. Reid rushed to forestall anything Derek might have said, “I’m sorry to have alarmed you. It was only recurring bad dream that I’ve had since I was a kid. Nothing to do with… current events I swear. I’ve brought reading materials and should be able to get back to bed quickly.” 

Derek didn’t need Penelope to tell him that the doctor’s body language was practically screaming that if, he got any closer, the doctor having a panic attack was a distinct possibility. 

“Okay, Kid. I’ve gotcha, but you just remember if those books of yours don’t help, you can still come on out. We don’t have to talk about the case until tomorrow. Garcia has 142 channels and at least four dozen dvd’s; there’s bound to be something we can both agree on.” Derek took the shaky nod and slight uncurl of the doctor’s shoulders as a success and closed the door between them - adding one more note to his profile of the doctor before he returned to couch and picked up the remote again. 


End file.
